Not sure what any of this stuff means? Head on over to our E3 hub for all the deets.

The Rundown

A young Batman will face the greatest challenge of his career when Black Mask, Gotham City’s most nefarious gangster, puts a 50 million–dollar bounty on his head, drawing the attention of the world’s greatest assassins. Building on the foundation laid in Rocksteady’s last two games, Warner Bros. Montreal is taking the reins this go around, hoping to put their own touch on the beloved Arkhamverse.

The Verdict

I made this my last appointment of the show because I knew that if I had started playing it any sooner than the 20 minutes before E3 2013 came to an end, I’d probably have gotten lost for a lot longer than I could afford in this newest chapter in the great lore of The Dark Knight.

Although a bit worried at first to hear Rocksteady was not behind this game’s development, my fears were put to rest after my hands-on demo. Fans of the first two games will be able to jump right into this one as all the returning mechanics have been left alone. That means the great counter/combat system that Rocksteady came up with is still there in all its glory.

Where Warner Bros. Montreal left their fingerprints, though, is where I was really impressed. It’s easy to leave something alone, but to build on top of it is the real challenge. Detective Mode is a perfect example of this. Batman can now analyze clues around a crime scene to put the events back together in great detail, allowing him to exercise his detective skills and deduce what malicious acts transpired, all while replaying or fast-forwarding through a re-enactment that the Batcomputer puts together for him.

Then there is the new gadget, the remote claw. Building on the line launcher from the previous game, not only can Batman launch a line from point to point for him to walk across, but he can tie almost any two objects together, including henchmen. It’s a great way to clear a room of armed guards, grappling guards to a gas canister, or pulling them up to a gargoyle Batman isn’t even perched at.

When you combine these additions with the new enemy types, massive open-world (twice as big as Arkham City), spontaneous street crime, and compelling story, you’ve got what looks to be a surefire winner on your hands.

About Ray Carsillo

Ray has extensive roots in geek culture, as he’s written about videogames, comics, and movies for such outlets as Newsday.com, ESPNNewYork.com, Classic Game Room on YouTube, Collider.com, and Comicvine.com before finally settling into his role as EGM’s reviews editor. His main goal in life? To become king of all geek media, of course! Find him on Twitter @RayCarsillo

E3 2013: Batman: Arkham Origins

Not sure what any of this stuff means? Head on over to our E3 hub for all the deets.

The Rundown

A young Batman will face the greatest challenge of his career when Black Mask, Gotham City’s most nefarious gangster, puts a 50 million–dollar bounty on his head, drawing the attention of the world’s greatest assassins. Building on the foundation laid in Rocksteady’s last two games, Warner Bros. Montreal is taking the reins this go around, hoping to put their own touch on the beloved Arkhamverse.

The Verdict

I made this my last appointment of the show because I knew that if I had started playing it any sooner than the 20 minutes before E3 2013 came to an end, I’d probably have gotten lost for a lot longer than I could afford in this newest chapter in the great lore of The Dark Knight.

Although a bit worried at first to hear Rocksteady was not behind this game’s development, my fears were put to rest after my hands-on demo. Fans of the first two games will be able to jump right into this one as all the returning mechanics have been left alone. That means the great counter/combat system that Rocksteady came up with is still there in all its glory.

Where Warner Bros. Montreal left their fingerprints, though, is where I was really impressed. It’s easy to leave something alone, but to build on top of it is the real challenge. Detective Mode is a perfect example of this. Batman can now analyze clues around a crime scene to put the events back together in great detail, allowing him to exercise his detective skills and deduce what malicious acts transpired, all while replaying or fast-forwarding through a re-enactment that the Batcomputer puts together for him.

Then there is the new gadget, the remote claw. Building on the line launcher from the previous game, not only can Batman launch a line from point to point for him to walk across, but he can tie almost any two objects together, including henchmen. It’s a great way to clear a room of armed guards, grappling guards to a gas canister, or pulling them up to a gargoyle Batman isn’t even perched at.

When you combine these additions with the new enemy types, massive open-world (twice as big as Arkham City), spontaneous street crime, and compelling story, you’ve got what looks to be a surefire winner on your hands.

About Ray Carsillo

Ray has extensive roots in geek culture, as he’s written about videogames, comics, and movies for such outlets as Newsday.com, ESPNNewYork.com, Classic Game Room on YouTube, Collider.com, and Comicvine.com before finally settling into his role as EGM’s reviews editor. His main goal in life? To become king of all geek media, of course! Find him on Twitter @RayCarsillo